Geranium plant named ‘Duemellina’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal  Geranium  plant named ‘Duemellina’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely and early flowering habit; and light red purple-colored semi-double flowers with red purple-colored spots.

Botanical denomination: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Cultivar designation: ‘Duemellina’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duemellina’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new freely and early flowering Zonal Geraniums with attractive flower and foliage colors.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in May, 1999, of an unnamed proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum identified as code number F-02-05, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Duemellina was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings at Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Zonal Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duemellina’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duemellina’ as a new cultivar and distinguish it from other known Zonal Geranium cultivars:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely and early flowering habit.     -   4. Light red purple-colored semi-double flowers with red         purple-colored spots.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ in flower coloration. In addition, plants of the new Zonal Geranium are stronger than plants of the parent selections.

The new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar SEL Lesmona, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar SEL Lesmona in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium were more compact than         plants of the cultivar SEL Lesmona.     -   2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had smaller leaves and         longer leaf petioles than plants of the cultivar SEL Lesmona.     -   3. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium and the cultivar SEL Lesmona         differed in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower and foliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duemellina’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Duemellina has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles. Plants were grown in 10.5-cm containers. Plants were pinched once about three weeks after planting. Plants were about eight weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photograph and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Duemellina. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium×hortorum             identified as F-02-05, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C.             Winter: About 7 days at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About three weeks at 20° C.             Winter: About four weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading             and rounded plant habit; densely foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely             branching, about four lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 23 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 6.1 cm. Internode length:             About 1 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About 5.3 cm. Width: About 6.3 cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex:             Rounded. Base: Cordate. Margin: Crenate. Venation pattern:             Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: 137A to 137B. Developing and fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 138A to 138B. Venation, upper             surface: 138A to 138B. Venation, lower surface: 144B.             Zonation pattern: 144A in color; about 2 mm in width.             Petiole: Length: About 5.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Light red purple-colored semi-double             flowers with red purple-colored spots arranged in rounded             hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels             displayed above and beyond the foliage on peduncles. Flowers             rounded in form. Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent.             Flowers not fragrant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; at full flower,             plants have about eight flower umbels with about 20 to 25             flowers per umbel.         -   Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring until the             autumn. Plants begin flowering about eight weeks after             planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on             the plant.         -   Umbel size.—Diameter: About 9 cm. Height: About 6 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height): About             1.8 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: 144A.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About             2.6 cm. Width: About 2.2 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; sinuate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: 67B; spots, 61A to 61B. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: 75B.         -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About six to eight. Length:             About 2.1 cm. Width: About 1.4 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:             Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; sinuate. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: 67B; spots, 61A to 61B. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: 75B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 3.8 mm. Shape:             Elongated, tapering. Apex: Apiculate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 144A to 144B.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 13.1 cm. Diameter:             About 1.5 cm. Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Smooth; glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3 cm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: Mostly erect. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A overlain             with 59B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower:             About seven to ten. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:             Ovate. Anther color: 43B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: 28A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 1.3 cm. Stigma shape: Five-parted,             star-shaped. Stigma color: 59C. Style length: About 3 mm.             Style color: 59C. Ovary color: Close to 144A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal     Geraniums. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been     observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 5 to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Duemellina’, as herein illustrated and described. 